This invention relates to apparatus used as accessories in the shooting sports. With more particularity, this invention relates to an apparatus for short term storage and ready dispensing of firearm ammunition, particularly ammunition for shotguns (sometimes referred to in this patent application as xe2x80x9cshotshellsxe2x80x9d), when the shooter is in close proximity to a structure, such as a hunting blind.
The various types of shooting sports, whether for handguns, rifles, or shotguns, require ready access to ammunition. Ammunition comes from the manufacturer usually packaged in paper or hard plastic containers which, while well suited for shipping and long term storage of the ammunition, are often not very efficient for quick access to shells, while on the shooting range or in the field. Additionally, paper containers break down when wet by rain or snow, and can cause a loss of ammunition.
Although the present invention is adaptable to provide easy dispensing of almost any type of ammunition, whether for handgun, rifle, or shotgun, in a number of situations, the apparatus is particularly suited to dispensing of shotshells to a hunter (who, usually by state and/or federal law, must use a shotgun to hunt feathered game) while stationed in a hunting xe2x80x9cblindxe2x80x9d, which usually comprises an enclosure of some sort designed to hide the hunter from approaching winged prey. In particular, waterfowl, including ducks and geese, are often hunted from a blind which includes a structure or framework of lumber, metal, fiberglass, or other materials. As such, a convenient and strong mounting place for the present invention is usually readily accessible. If the shooting is good on a particular hunt, the hunter may have need to rapidly reload his or her shotgun a number of times during the course of the hunt.
Shotgun shells usually come packaged from the factory in boxes (usually made of cardboard) containing 25 shotshells, with a top flap for a lid. While, as mentioned above, such container is well suited for shipping and long term storage, the conventional cardboard box has a number of disadvantages in a hunting blind situation. Shotshells may be fairly easily extracted from the box while the box is relatively full (and thus the level of shells is high in the box), but as the number of shells in the box decreases, it becomes increasingly difficult to reach far enough into the box to get more shells. It is desirable for the hunter to keep a box of shells in a convenient location within the blind to facilitate loading of the shotgun. Often, blinds will have a small shelf or ledge to rest an open box of shells on. However, especially when few shells remain in the box, getting shells out of the box can become cumbersome, and there always exists the possibility (which happens surprisingly often) of knocking the box of shotshells off the shelf, with the resultant spillage of shotshells onto the bottom of the blind. Often, there is standing water or mud in the blind, making retrieval of the shells difficult, and possibly causing problems with the quality of the shells (due to their getting wet). Yet another problem with open boxes of shells in a blind is that the shells are exposed to rain, and as waterfowl hunts are often made in inclement weather this is a common occurrence. Further still, as mentioned above, paper boxes rapidly deteriorate in rainy and wet weather.
It is desirable, therefore, to have an apparatus which:
is adapted to removably mount onto a structure, for example the interior of a blind;
holds a fairly large quantity of shotshells (e.g., a full box of 25 shotshells);
permits easy filling of the apparatus with shotshells;
maintains the shotshells protected from the elements and securely held; while
permitting ready access to the shotshells for quick reloading of the shotgun.
The known related art apparatus do not accomplish these tasks.